The Birthday Files

Here are the videos I took on and around Olivia's birthday. (DISCLAIMER: these clips are recommended for Dedicated Viewers (i.e. aunties, grandparents) rather than "Where's the Fun Baby?/Will this Head Straight to You Tube?" visitors. YOU guys should head back the archives for "Hot Tomato vs. Baby,""Swingers," "Naughty has entered the building," and maybe a little "Stinky!" if you need to see a baby cracking herself up hard. You'll really get your money's worth with those.

The first of these birthday videos is the on-the-day celebration with cupcake and frosting. The second two feature card opening and present wrapping removal. The BEST birthday videos live on Nanny and Grampy's camera, but I think that they are either trapped there or deleted. (Gramps took video when he meant to be taking pictures . . . and the results were AMAZING! Uncle Todd -- are you up for a video saving mission?)

DJ/Dancing/Scratching Baby

Mixmasta! Mixmasta! Hey, Ms. DJ, put a record on . . .

This is a classic clip of Olivia's full-on scratch and dance moves a la NYC house club. I've been holding on to it because I don't know how to edit in iMovie yet, but now that she's learning to walk, I'll need to get another video up soon anyway.

Not much happens after the one-minute mark, but before that, good stuff.

How we learned that "no" is not enough information . . .

Olivia's favorite word is "no." Not because she says it, but because it's hilarious. In fact, it makes her want to do silly jokies like put a comb in her mouth even when she knows that a comb is for combing.

Maybe this is her way of showing that "Please don't climb up the stairs" or "Please take that out of your mouth" are actually the correct ways of helping her understand what is OK to do. Or maybe she knows already that we've got no idea what we're doing.

Check it out.

Stinky!

I once heard that puppies like to chew on shoes because they have the most intense "essence," let's say, of the people that they love the best. I don't know if that's why Olivia is obsessed with shoes as well, but I'll go with that.

The other day, dear Cousin Amy came to babysit while I got caught up on some work. When Olivia went after her shoe, Amy swiftly saved the poor tiny baby from the disgusting germs that inhabit our street, where the shoes had previously been walking. Amy will make a wonderful mother.

Compare that to my reactions:
--Yell "Stinky! Stinkpoo!" over and over in an effort to make baby laugh.
--Record on digital while baby rubs contaminants all over her face.

But it shore is funny to watch.

First Friends

All summer long, Olivia and Noema, her slightly younger friend (by three months), have been enjoying two multi-hour play dates a week while each of their two mommies has been working, reading, resting, dancing . . . and now they are best friends! They share blankies! They hug heads! They practice "gentle!
(They're still working on that one though.)

Cash wraps + "HI-EEE!"

Olivia's longest focus time involves emptying coin wraps from a root beer mug. I'm sure that that activity doesn't sound at all exciting to watch (especially in two videos: Coin Wrap I and Coin Wrap, The Sequel), but there is something mystical, almost Zen, about her concentration. That is, until she notes the arrival of a new spectator, at which point her concentration breaks into her exuberant greeting. (She says "HI-EE!" to everything from cats to plants to doll babies. Today, I'm pretty sure that she said "HI-EEE, Tee-tee!" while eating rice and strawberries. Translation: "How-de-do, there, kittycat?")

Cousin Cameryn: Olivia's Idol

Olivia loves her older cousin Cameryn. They read books together past both their bedtimes, Olivia explores the inside of Cameryn's mouth and then feeds her Kix . . . and what's not to love? Cameryn does a mean Hannah Montana onstage number, complete with microphone switch-hand tricks and bending to sing to her fawning audience members. That's advanced for Olivia, but I'm sure that she's working on it in her crib at night. Pretty soon they'll BOTH be singing to crowds and posing for Vanity Fair.